


The beginnings of a friendship

by Moonlightflower



Series: The Origins of the Piston Peak Air Attack team [2]
Category: Cars (Movies), Planes (Movies)
Genre: (Old) team dynamics, Blade being a mess, Blade being an iceblock and failing, Building Friendship, Emotional Hurt, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Maru being awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-11
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2020-01-11 22:47:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18433679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlightflower/pseuds/Moonlightflower
Summary: The story of how Blade came to Piston Peak, how he met Maru and how they became what they are.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody! It's been my birthday for a bit more than an hour now (at least where I live, I guess for most of you it's still yesterday...) and I thought maybe I could give you something! So here is the first part of Blade's origin. Hope you all like it!
> 
> Enjoy :)

“What were you thinking?!”

 

The world around him seemed to tunnel as Blade stared at his chief with empty eyes.

 

“You could have died, Chrysler damn it!”

 

_Yeah. Maybe I should have…_  
  
“Hey! Ranger! Are you even listening to me?!”

 

Blade remained silent, resolutely staring at a spot right above his trainer’s rotors. He didn’t have the strength to bear the angered looks thrown his way. Not after what had just happened. His gaze wandered to the window, glancing at the black casket that was waiting outside. Waiting to be picked up and get the poor soul inside identified.

 

“If it hadn’t been for Mayday you would be right out there in a casket as well! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT? THIS IS EXACTLY THE REASON WHY WE HAVE RULES, RANGER!”

 

He could tell that his chief was furious but at that moment it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.

_I couldn’t save her… I’ve trained, I’m nearly certified and yet…_

 

The thought was almost too much to bear. Her screams had sounded so much like his, the picture unfolding before him much the same. Burning, twisted metal, fluids everywhere, screaming people all around. And him in the middle, absolutely helpless.

 

_This is exactly the thing I wanted to prevent! So why? Why did it still happen?!_

 

“Ranger, are you with me?”

 

Blade stayed silent, still not meeting the other helicopter’s eyes. He knew that there was a chance that the chief knew of his circumstances, but there was no way she could know just how much pain Blade was going through every single day. The only motivation he had to get up at all was that he desperately wanted to help keep others from having to go through what he did and still does. And now somebody had died.

 

_All because I couldn’t save her…_

 

Blade wanted to cry.

 

“Woah… Er, no need to cry… I’m sorry, I just. You know I was just worried about you, right? Everything’s okay, hey…”

 

“NO! It’s not! Somebody’s dead!”  
  
It was the thirst thing he’d said since getting pulled from the flames. It was enough to momentarily stun the chief into silence, leaving Blade with the crippling self-doubt of not only having failed somebody he was supposed to protect but also disappointing the one person that put up with his shit on a daily basis to get him that certificate.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that, I shouldn’t have been so reckless, I just…”

 

His voice broke, unable to say the painful reality out loud. _I just couldn’t let another person die right in front of me._

The chief sighed, the anger slowly fading and being replaced with sympathy as she regarded Blade with a somewhat helpless expression.

 

“Losing people is never easy. Trust me, I know that, but it’s part of the job, as much as teambuilding exercises and putting out fires. You can’t just throw yourself into the flames like that. Your life is worth just as much as everybody else’s. Nobody gets anything from both of you dying.”

 

Blade simply nodded. He knew that, had told himself the same thing over and over again. And yet he knew that, given the chance, he’d readily do it again.

 

“Listen. What you did today was dangerous and reckless and technically I would have to punish you one way or another to ensure it never happens again. Normally I wouldn’t hesitate in doing so either but I get the feeling that that wouldn’t do any good on you. So here’s what we’re going to do. You’re a week away from your final exam to get your certificate of achievement. Until then you will refrain from joining the team on any missions. Use the time to study if you must. Instead, you will spend your time with Mayday, the one who saved your life today, whenever he is on base. I hope he’ll be able to teach you a thing or two about staying alive through this job. Before I let you do your exam I’ll ask him for an evaluation of whether or not he thinks you can be trusted with this on your own. If he says no, I’ll be forced to have you go through an official evaluation, and you and I both know that with your history that likely won’t go over well. So please, if this job means anything to you, take this seriously. And use the week wisely.”

 

Blade was momentarily shocked into silence. With the way that this lecture had started he had half expected to be fired immediately. Or at least to have some sort of disciplinary issue.

_She’s giving me a chance…_

 

And Blade vowed he would do his best to take it. He wanted this job. He wanted it more than anything.

 

_One way or another, Nick, I will do this for you. I’ll be a firefighter and I’ll honor you every single day by making sure nobody has to ever go through our pain. By any means I have to! I promise you that._

He was still crying but now he had the strength to finally meet his chief’s eyes. There was a moment of mutual understanding before Blade turned around and headed for the door. Before exiting the office completely he turned back one last time, allowing the gratitude to openly show in his eyes.

 

“Thank you.”

 

The helicopter smiled back, giving a small nod of acknowledgment.

 

“Thank me by making it through the test, Blade.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, next chapter is up! I thought I'd switch between Maru and Blade perspective wise. Also, since I know I probably confused you all with all the new names, I'm trying to give some of them a little backround here that will make it easier to remember the key members from the old team. And if it's still confusing, don't worry, just take the names when they come and don't try to remeber who they are... It's the new team's origin story after all, the old members aren't technically critical for understanding it.
> 
> Enjoy :)

“Alright, listen up everybody!”

 

Maru grinned. _Been working here for two years and I’m still not used to this way of making announcements. So informal…_

 

Tamati was standing in the center space, wearing his trademark smile and seemingly in a very good mood. The flyers were already gathered around him, the Jumpers and Hotshots on their way over and Windlifter standing slightly off to the side and attentive as ever. Maru made his way over to his side, nudging the helicopter’s underside to see if he could get a reaction. Ever since their first days of knowing each other, where Windlifter had still been recovering from crashing and lots of smoke inhalation, the helicopter had been somewhat distant. Maru partly understood the reason, Windlifter had given up his entire life as he had known it and now he was part of a totally different culture. Despite that, considering the circumstances, he was well liked and well integrated into the team. Sometimes it still surprised him just how well everybody worked together here. With them included, there were currently 24 people stationed on this base. 24 people with very different personalities that – by all means and laws of logic – should clash way more often than they actually did. Something about this team made everybody feel welcome and included, at least the way he had gotten to know it.

 

“Give it up Maru.”

 

Tobulouse and Alair simultaneously burst out laughing while Melro shot him a friendly smirk.

 

“You’re the only one still trying to get him to show some emotion without cause. Everybody else has long since given up.”

 

“What, you saying this fine mechanism isn’t a sufficient cause to show emotion?”

 

Malvorie and Ann snickered, followed by two very loud clanks as Evall hit them on the back of their heads to get them to shut up, receiving a friendly glare from Jurigan in return and actually getting Windlifter to faintly blush. Maru couldn’t help but smile at their antics. It had begun to feel like home sometime around the first year and by now he couldn’t imagine his life without the crazy bunch. He was pretty sure that everybody here would gladly agree with him there. In a way, it almost felt like family.

 

“Okay Jokers. As much as I love to watch my little heroes having so much fun, I kinda have something important to say. Our little family is about to get a little bigger –“

 

At least five different people snorted at that wording, Marshall even going as far as to mock-whisper who the hell could have possibly gotten Tamati maked, earning him a round of laughter from everybody present.

 

“Alright, very funny. I’m serious though. Starting tomorrow we’ll have a new teammate. His name is Blade. He’s a rookie so be gentle with him.”

 

“Aw, no immaking on the first night here?”

 

“You know what I mean Burrell.”

 

“Yes, I know. Still, is he hot?”

 

The Hotshots, with the exception of Jurigan,  immediately burst into laughter, Licroy dramatically touching his chest while Linnt made a grand show of sobbing into his shoulder.

 

“You hear that? Our darling partner doesn’t think we’re hot enough anymore.”

 

“What? No!”

 

By then the entire team was laughing, Tamati giving Burrell a pitying pat on his shoulder before turning back to the team.

 

“Fun aside though, he’s been through some rough times lately, so please, make him feel welcome and at home. And keep an eye on him.”

 

“Why that?  Afraid he’s gonna bolt as soon as he sees us?”

 

Alair smirked, nudging Fireflight’s side, causing her to slightly blush. It had been one of the first stories that the team had shared with them when they got there, the story of how a trainee got scared of them and ran off, only revealing at the end that it was their current second in command. Tamati pulled her under his wing, giving her side a small nuzzle and content on letting the conversation flow on from there.

 

“So, a new guy, huh? Do you know what frame type? Would be kinda nice to have another SEAT around.”

 

“Sorry to disappoint you Melro but if I’m not misinformed he’s a helicopter. “

 

“You hear that Windlifter? You’re getting company.”

 

Windlifter simply raised an eyelid, leaving the scene uncommented. Maru’s grin widened. He allowed himself to get lost in the friendly banter, throwing in a quip here and there and otherwise just rejoicing in the happiness that surrounded all of them.

 

_I wonder what the new guy will be like. Blade, huh? That name rings a bell…_

 

He couldn’t quite tell why, but somehow he had a feeling that this Blade, whoever he was, was going to change things around this place. And as he watched the sun slowly near the horizon as the afternoon went on he couldn’t help but feel a little excited.

_I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what do you think of the team dynamics of the old team? Different from the new PPAA team or was their team always the same when it comes to interactions?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blade is finally getting to Piston Peak now.
> 
> Enjoy :)

Blade still couldn’t believe it. Somehow he had gotten through it. His week with Mayday hadn’t been half bad, he actually found he quite liked the fire truck. He was nice to talk to, always seemed to sense when he wanted to be left alone and when he wanted somebody to distract him and cheer him up. He almost had fun throughout that week, something that hadn’t really happened ever since Nick almost two years ago. During his training, his focus had been on being the best he could possibly be to make sure he wouldn’t make any fatal mistakes later on. He’d taken longer than most, mostly because he had been shoved off to a secondary station that wasn’t really qualified to train multiple people at the same time. He had come last, so he’d drawn the short end of the stick but in the end, it had hardly made a difference.

_And now I’m here…_

He almost felt a little excited at the thought that he really did it. He got certified and now he was on his way to his first station. After what had happened a week before his exam, his chief had suggested that maybe it would be best for him to leave the city and bring some distance between himself and his past. _‘Besides, out in the wild, the chances of people dying from a fire are far less than here in the crowded areas. You said you always appreciated nature. Maybe you should shift your focus onto protecting that. I really think that would do you some good, Blade.’_

__

_Maybe she’s right…_

He had heard of the Piston Peak National Park many times during his time as an actor. He had often wanted to go and see for himself if it was really as marvelous as everybody made it out to be but somehow he had never gotten around to actually going.

 

_Guess now I’ll find out._

 

His trainer had told him that she would tell his new chief about his condition, just to make sure, and had also told Blade that she had heard many good things of the team. It was supposedly very open and friendly.

 

The smile on Blade’s face turned slightly bitter at the thought of that. He didn’t want an overly friendly team with teammates that would try to include him. If he let his guard slip and actually formed an attachment to any of them he was only going to get hurt. They had a dangerous job, everybody could die at any moment. There was no sugarcoating that.

_And I know for a fact that I won’t be able to handle another loss like that. It’s better to keep my distance. That’s safer for everybody involved._

 

He also didn’t want to risk anybody recognizing him. He had already changed his paintjob and preferably introduced himself as just ‘Blade’ to minimalize any possible association with ‘Blazin Blade Ranger’. That person had died together with Nick Loopin Lopez and Blade didn’t want to be reminded of him.

 

_I’m here to do a job. To fight fire. That’s all I’ll do._

 

When the park slowly came into sight and unfolded around him, the sights momentarily took all the grief away from him. For those few blissful moments of utter surprise at the beauty that surpassed many of the tales told about it, Blade almost felt whole again. _This is… Amazing!_ It hadn’t been two minutes and already his core had latched onto this place, desperate to fill the void inside with something to love and protect.

 

At that moment, Blade felt like he was in the right place for the first time ever since the last sunrise he and Nick had watched cuddled together on the rooftops.

 

He unconsciously wanted to preserve that feeling for as long as he could, taking as much time as he could possibly justify to himself to just look around and explore the park that was going to be his home from now on. And the one thing he vowed to protect.

 

It almost took him an hour from entering the park’s peremises to reaching the Piston Peak Air Attack. The base was relatively empty, leaving Blade feeling a little guilty because he knew for a fact that they had been informed of his scheduled time of arrival and were probably out searching for him. But at the same time, he was glad that nobody had immediately come to greet him.

_I’m not sure I could have handled any overly dramatic ‘welcome to our family’ parties right now._

__

The only downside was that he didn’t know which hangar would be his or if there was anything special he would need to know before starting to live here. _So I’ll have to deal with them after all… Great._  Just as he was about to go and find himself a nice spot to sit and wait for the team to come back, he heard somebody clear his throat behind him.

 

“So, you finally decided to grace us with your presence, eh? What happened? Did you get lost on the way here?”

 

Blade instinctively shook his head, slowly turning around and coming face to face with a grey and blue forklift giving him an amused smile that bordered on a smirk.

 

“Got lost in the sight of your new home then? Understandable. Happened to me too when I first got here.”

 

The forklift’s grin turned a little more friendly, though no less amused, as he came over to bump his side before bringing some distance between them.

 

“Guess I better call off the search party then. Bria and Steede will be so disappointed.”

From the way he said it, Blade got the feeling that the forklift took great delight in that fact. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of that. _You’re either a tease or a jerk._ And with the way the friendly smile had turned back into that somewhat irritating smirk, Blade was currently leaning towards the latter.

 

 “I’m Maru by the way.”

 

Blade nodded, careful to keep up his mask of neutral – faked – interest to make sure he didn’t completely destroy his future team relationships on his first day.

_I may not want to form any attachments but I’m still going to have to work with these people._

 

Maru looked a little put off at his unenthusiastic not-reply for a split second before his smirk softened a little and he started rolling towards a cliff area.

 

“Tired from the long flight? Here, I’ll show you to your hangar. You and Windlifter – our other helicopter – are right next to Tamati’s. His hangar has a landing space if you ever feel the need to not use the runway for that.”

 

Blade nodded, remaining silent and hoping to get his point across that he wanted to be left alone now. Maru simply shook his head, smile never leaving his face as he motioned for Blade to enter the hangar.

 

“Well, make yourself at home. Get some rest. I’m sure that tomorrow the crew will want to celebrate your welcoming party. They were quite disappointed when you missed it.”

 

Before he could stop himself the groan had left Blade’s mouth, prompting Maru to chuckle.

 

“Come on, they’re not half bad. You’re gonna like them.”

 

Blade bit his tongue, barely able to suppress the need to answer as he watched Maru close the hangar door behind him with a wink.

_That’s exactly what I don’t want._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think of Blade's and Maru's first meeting? Did you imagine it like this?


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, something is happening (after Blade mostly ignoring the team ever since getting there...)
> 
> Enjoy :)

“Fireflight, Alair, take the left flank. Split load, cover as much as you can. Windlifter, be ready to extend.”

 

“Blade, see if there’s any wildlife in there and get them out. Tobulouse, cover him and-“

 

“Sorry to interrupt but wouldn’t it be better if Tobulouse tagged on for Windlifter? Fireflight and Alair are off to the lake and he’s almost empty. That way you’ve got a circle.”

 

_He’s got guts, I gotta hand him that much._

 

Still, Maru could only shake his head at the conversation that flowed freely from the horn. He’d rigged it so he would be able to follow the team’s radio transmissions, initially out of curiosity about how firefighters worked but at the moment it was more for personal entertainment than anything. _Verbally running your chief over as a rookie… Really Blade?_  

 

“Alright, good point. Team, do that. Now go!”

 

If it wasn’t for the fact that, while always able to get the fire out at some point, Tamati was skillfully incompetent at making up any _good_ tactics to do so - making Blade’s input actually helpful - Maru knew that the helicopter would already have been thrown out. Or grounded. But definitely not what was actually happening. He continued to listen to the transmissions that grew fewer as the team seemed to finish the fire off. _Guess Blade’s tactic was more efficient. Normally this would have taken the remainder of the day. At least._ _Impressive…_ The fact that he had quickly become a vital part of the team didn’t do much for the helicopter’s social skills when it came to actually _being_ part of the team though.

 

That fact was once more demonstrated as Maru watched the flyers come back in, the team chatting amicably and laughing while Blade stayed at the very back of the group. If it wasn’t for Windlifter who was actually trying to start a conversation for once, Maru knew that Blade would have completely isolated himself. The moment the group reached the base though, Blade was gone in an instant, not even bothering to use the runway like the rest of them and instead opting for the space in front of Tamati’s hangar, disappearing into his own as soon as his wheels touched the ground.

 

“What’s his problem? First, he acts all high and mighty and now he just runs off?”

 

“Again, I might add. Does he think he’s better than us or something?”

 

That was a question that Maru was dying to get an answer for. Something was up with this helicopter and he had a feeling it was something important.

 

“Guys, what did I tell you?”

 

Their chief’s tone was stern, something that hardly happened and instantly prompted the gathered planes to leave it be and go on as if nothing happened. Maru, on the other hand, couldn’t just let it lie at that. He got that some people weren’t into socializing and preferred to stay on the sidelines. Windlifter did it all the time but he never isolated himself from the team. This new guy, however, did just that. As soon as he wasn’t required to be around he made himself scarce, making sure to avoid any and all contact to the team if at all possible.

 

_This is a team job, you know? You kinda need to actually make yourself a part of the team for that!_

The thing was, Blade was good. Really good as far as Maru could tell, and after two years with his current helions of a crew he prided himself in his judgment. Blade had a gift for tactics, quickly being able to figure out the best approach to a fire and how to best realize his plans. Tamati had even taken to asking him for his opinion every now and then before giving his orders and at least half of the time that he didn’t, Blade gave his opinion anyway. For a rookie that was one hell of an accomplishment. And yet, as soon as the fire was out and they were back on the ground Blade disappeared off to nowhere, not even staying around for Tamati’s customary ‘Good job today’ speech.

 

Tamati had told them he was going through a tough time and had also ordered them to leave him alone for a while to sort himself out. But Maru knew when somebody simply wanted to be alone to be able to think and he could tell that that was not it. Blade was systematically extracting himself from any possible situation that could form any sort of bond with his new team.

 

_It’s like you don’t want to be a part of it at all._

And in their profession that was dangerous. Knowing your teammate could save your life under certain circumstances, that was the whole reason while teambuilding exercises were mandatory.

 

“A calm breeze may move the sand but only a storm can change the shape of a mountain.”

 

“Uh…”

 

Maru almost laughed at Tobulouse’s extremely confused expression. Almost. But Windlifter’s stare was way too intense for that. _A Storm… What do you- Oh… I forgot._

Windlifter seemed to sense the exact moment that Maru understood because, for a slight second, the green helicopter actually gave him a smile and winked. It was gone within a blink but Maru knew it had been there. _And more importantly, I think I have an idea. I’ve tried being nice and understanding but you refuse to let that get us anywhere. Time to move things up a notch._

 

Everybody else had just decided to leave it be and follow Tamati’s order but Maru couldn’t. He’d seen the signs of depression more often than he could count during his time in the hospital and he knew that Blade was in deep. He always had that desperate look in his eyes, beneath the sadness, beneath the determination, beneath the mask of cool. Windlifter would have probably called him the wind again for having picked that up but apart from him, nobody seemed to notice it. Which led to Maru watching Blade from the distance, water hose in his lifts as he studied the helicopter’s faraway expression.

 

_Wherever your head is at right now, it’s decidedly not a good place._

Taking a deep breath and mentally preparing what he was going to tell Tamati to fend off the lecture that he knew he would get for this, he positioned himself and turned the icy water on.

 

_Time to wake you up._

The moment the water hit Blade, he could see the way that life suddenly rushed into him as he yelped and tried to get out of the way, spluttering a row of intelligable curses at Maru until the forklift deemed him awake enough to stop.

 

“There you go! Good to see you back among the living!”

 

The moment he said it, Maru instantly regretted it. As soon as the last word had left his mouth he could practically see all color fading from Blade’s face as he froze on the spot. For a moment he could have sworn there were tears in his eyes but before he could do so much as open his mouth and apologize Blade had already taken off and fled the base.

 

_Shit._

 

                        A

To say Tamati had been mad would be an understatement. In all his time in Piston Peak, Maru had never seen his chief so furious. The scariest thing had been that throughout the entire talk the plane had remained absolutely calm. It still sent shivers down his frame, the words ringing inside his head.

 

‘He’s lost someone to a fire and he’s still grieving. So don’t you ever dare mention the dead to him again, you hear me?! Just give him the time he needs, he’ll come around eventually!’

 

Only that Maru disagreed with that last part. Especially now that Tamati had accidentally given him the last clue to reveal to him just who Blade was. _I can’t believe I didn’t piece it together before! Or recognize him! I watched every single episode ever made of that damn show!_

 

And of course he had heard just why it had ended. And how. _No wonder you’re distancing yourself…_

 

The worst part was that now that Maru understood, he also knew that there wasn’t much he could do. And he hated it because now more than ever he desperately wanted to be able to help the helicopter. What Blade needed more than anything right now was somebody to talk to, somebody to share all that pain with in order to be able to eventually let it go. But the way Blade was acting it wasn’t very likely he was going to let anybody close enough to even talk to him, let alone talk to them in return. Maru had seldom felt so helpless.

 

_The least I can do is apologize._

 

That night, Maru went over to Blade’s hangar and tentatively knocked. To his surprise, Blade actually opened the door. He didn’t say a word, just moved aside and motioned for Maru to come in. Maru noticed that his eyes looked a little red, sending a wave of guilt through him.

 

“I’m so sorry Blade.”

 

He didn’t know what he was saying it for, if it was to apologize or to offer his condolences but he needed to say it anyway.

 

“So sorry…”

 

Something in his voice must have given him away because the next moment Blade’s eyes were widening, fresh tears sparkling in them as he looked at Maru with his despair unmasked for the first time.

 

“You know, don’t you?”

 

His voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper and when Maru nodded something inside Blade seemed to break. A hitched sob broke free from his lips and before Maru could even begin to comprehend the sudden change or ask himself where it had come from, Blade had already thrown himself at him, tears freely streeming down his face as he cried out the pain that he had held in for so long.

 

“Damn it…”

 

Maru found himself unable to answer, still too shocked by the fact that Blade was actually showing emotions. A lump formed in his throat as he carefully brought his lifts up to gently rub the helicopter’s side. Blade only cried harder.

 

“He’s gone… I’m never gonna hear his voice again. I’ll never see him smile. The last thing I ever heard from him was his screams and now I can’t forget them!”

 

Maru was beginning to wonder if maybe Blade had been accumulating all of this, bottling it up inside and desperate for somebody to take it all away. _You just never trusted anybody enough._ At that, another wave of guilt washed through him because he knew that Blade didn’t trust him either. He had just pushed him past his breaking point and now he had to deal with the consequences.

 

“I’m sorry Blade. I shouldn’t have said anything, I should have just left you alone like you wanted and I promise I’ll never bother you again. I’m sorry.”

 

At his words a wave of panic seemed to wash through Blade, causing him to clutch Maru in a death grip as he started to tremble all over.

 

“Don’t go. I’ll do anything you want, just please, don’t leave me all alone. I don’t want to be alone…”

 

It nearly broke Maru’s core to see him like that. Blade was beyond desperate, at this point it surprised Maru that the helicopter was able to function in a social setting at all. He quietly cooed sweet nothings into Blade’s audials, rubbing his side like he would with a patient having a panic attack. In a way, that was kind of what was happening here as well. Only that it was a panic attack that had been in the making for two years and suspiciously bordered on the symptoms of PTSD. For a little while, the sobbing and cooing were all that could be heard. Maru had half stopped listening, already going through a mental list of how he could help Blade to not have any similar attacks in the future when Blade’s shaky voice brought him back to full attention.

 

“I loved him so much…”

 

_Loved?_

 

The word felt like a punch into his tanks.

 

_You loved him…_

 

_This intense grief, even after all this time. The refusal to bond to anybody. It’s all because you lost somebody so important. You’re terrified…_

 

Maru instinctively tightened his hold, pulling the other closer and wiping a few tears away. He could feel that he wasn’t far off from crying as well.

 

“I’m sorry, Blade.”

 

It was as if that simple offer of condolences threw the reality right at Blade and forced him to accept it. At least that was what his expression looked like at that moment. So full of shock and pain and most importantly, fresh loss. It was at that moment that Maru vowed he would protect him. He would try to keep this helicopter from any further harm to the best of his abilities. _I’ll help you get through this. I don’t know how but I promise you, I will. You’re never going to be alone again._

 

As if he had heard his thoughts –  or maybe he’d been thinking out loud – Blade openly wailed, clinging to Maru like he was the only thing keeping him alive and Maru clung back just as tightly. He held him until Blade cried himself to sleep from exhaustion and even then, after maneuvering Blade onto his sleeping mat and covering him in a blanket, Maru didn’t leave his side. He just lay down next to him, one lift continuously rubbing the helicopter’s side in hopes of at least giving him a peaceful sleep. When he settled in under the blanket, Blade’s eyes fluttered open a little, regarding Maru with a small, wavery but grateful smile. It was the first emotion besides determination and despair that Maru had ever seen on him and somewhere deep down he vowed to make sure he would get to see it again. Blade’s eyes fluttered shut again but the smile remained on his lips as he unconsciously moved closer to Maru. He was half asleep himself when Blade opened his mouth, voice tired but firm for the first time since Maru had come over in the evening. There was an underlying calm in there that Maru had never heard in him before. Almost peaceful.

 

“Thank you, Maru.”

 

It was the first time that Blade had called any of them by their first name outside of ‘suggesting’ orders.

 

Somehow, Maru got the feeling that it held a great significance that the name had been his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like the beginning of their friendship? Is it suitable for what they will become?


End file.
